Friday, 3 May 2013

Next week marks the third anniversary of the formation of the UK's Tory led Coalition Government. Austerity has been its hallmark with attacks on living standards, erosion of workers' rights, destruction of public services and the welfare state. The response of the trade union movement, led by the TUC, has been sporadic at best. Massive national mobilisations on 26 March 2011 and 20 October 2012 have taken place but with long periods of inertia in between. Apart from an upsurge in industrial action over public sector pension in late 2011, empty rhetoric about civil disobedience and general strikes have substituted for mass action. Now the TUC is relaunching 'A Future That Works' campaign to drive the work of the TUC over the next two years:http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-22165-f0.cfm

The TUC is pledging to mobilise resistance against austerity based on the following demands:

- an effective industrial policy, not just for manufacturing but all sectors that can contribute to growth

- banks that work for Britain, such as a state investment bank and proper green bank

- guaranteed full employment, and in particular, guaranteed jobs for young people

- a green economy that uses the transition to a low carbon economy to create jobs and growth

- an effective and fair tax system that tackles tax dodgers and makes those who created the crash pay their fair share, including a Robin Hood Tax on financial transactions, with an investigation of taxes on wealth and closing down tax havens

- a transformed skills system that works for all

- the UK learns from successful economies that have rejected the neo-liberal way